Hiking Australia

Hiking towels differ from regular towels by material. The downside to most hiking towels is they are slightly less water-absorbent than cotton towels and can feel synthetic to the touch. The use of microfibre means the towels are light weight, pack small and dry quickly. We used the towels many times each day, got them wet, covered in sand, rolled them up, hung them out to dry, sat on them, stood on them, did everything you would practically think to do with a towel, and they finished the journey looking and smelling as great as they did when I first pulled them out of the postage pack.

One of the Top 5 Priorities in a Survival Situation Water, warmth, signals, shelter and food are the top 5 priorities in a survival situation, according to survival expert Bob Cooper. The loss of 2 litres of water depletes our rational thinking by 25% Water needs to be consumed at 250 mills every time you need to drink, that will hydrate your body’s organs including your brain. Over drinking is known as Hyponatremia” says outback survival expert Bob Cooper. Born and educated in Western Australia, Bob Cooper is one of Australia’s leading bush-craft and survival instructors and has delivered Outback Safety and Survival courses since 1990.

Hansons Peak via Little Horn and Lake Wilks is a 10km, grade 4 circuit hike, located in Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania. Nice little scramble with a chain to get up with spectacular views overlooking Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain particularly giving a great view of the Little Horn aspect of Cradle Mountain. Major features are Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff in the northern end, Mount Pelion East, Mount Pelion West, Mount Oakleigh and Mount Ossa in the middle and Lake St Clair in the southern end of the park. Cradle Mountain lies at the northern end of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.

I’ve organised hikes for one of the nation’s largest hiking groups for seven years and frankly feel a combination of anger and amazement when some people turn up ill-prepared. Batteries go flat, phones break or can be lost To save your phone battery consider a separate camera to capture those social media shots Don’t attempt to hike if the trail is closed Remain on marked trails to reduce your impact and chances of getting lost However you tackle the bush, here’s my simple plea; plan and don’t put your life or others at risk. If you are a commercial operator, a member of a club, an online group, blogger or commercial website and wish to use any information from this site, my eBooks or printed publications you are required to first seek written permission from the copyright owner and should ensure that you always clearly credit the copyright owner for the material being reproduced using the following text.

Zorali promote these as ‘hiking pants that don’t look like hiking pants. ‘over the summit’ to be concerned with my mating appeal and to be honest, they look like a lot of other hiking pants that I have worn so was not really sure how they look different to hiking pants. I had a look at Zorali’s website to see if it explained what these were for but couldn’t find any info. The Recycled Venture Pants show no sign of wear, are light weight and comfortable to hike in, they pack small for ease of stowing in your pack for overnight hikes, are relatively light weight and so far, I am happy with them.

So, with gear sorted, a packed lunch, lots of snacks and a great bunch of people along with Zac Zaharias as our guide and his team from Peak Learning, it was time to head out. Zac regaled great stories of the challenges he and his team faced in their many Himalayan expeditions; Mike Edmondson showed off his lovely photography of Kosciuszko National Park and yours truly, presented the story on the AHF and the great work it does across the Himalayas. Gearing up, we started our ascent up to Etheridge Ridge Peak (2,180m) and then onto Mt Kosciuszko (2,228m), the highest mountain in Australia. The last two were what is termed, the Abbott’s – Abbott Peak (2,159m) and Abbott Peak East (2,145m).

Alpine National Park (ANP), with its powerful, spectacular, and distinctive landscape, has a special association with the Australian community because of the unique landscapes, naturalness, experience of remoteness and as one of the few opportunities for broad-scale outdoor recreation in Australia. The current Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing, is a 37-kilometre, three-day hike through some of Australia’s most pristine mountain scenery, crossing the Bogong High Plains in the Victorian Alps and connects the alpine resorts of Falls Creek and Hotham. The Victorian government recently announced a $15M preliminary investment in ‘upgrading’ the Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing (FHAC) in the Victorian Alps. The media release was somewhat ambiguous as it did not spell out the master plan which is to spend $34M of our money on luxury, serviced accommodation, run by licensed tour operators to rival other states and regions and attract cashed-up international tourists.

The Plenty Gorge River Hike is a 21km, grade 3 circuit hike, located in the Plenty Gorge Park, Victoria. Arrive at the Red Gum Picnic area and head towards the Le Page Homestead track to pick up the trail. Plenty Gorge Park offers a wide range of natural and cultural experiences only 20 km from Melbourne, where the spectacular gorge sets a backdrop for stunning landscape views and the abundant native wildlife are always on show. If you're catching the train, you could get off at Mernda station and start the hike at the turn around point near Bridge Inn Road instead of the Red Gum Picnic area.

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you are lost, injured or even just separated from your gear, then being able to rapidly assess your situation and make a plan of action can mean the difference between life and death. There are some generic rules for survival that are mostly agreed upon and there is also essential equipment to carry when you venture into the wilderness, having this equipment and understanding the rules for survival can dramatically enhance your safety if you are lost or injured in the bush. Plan your hike, before setting foot on the trail Without carrying any special equipment or having any survival skills doing these four things dramatically increase your chances of survival if you get lost or injured in a wilderness area. However on a purely physiological level you can survive without food for extended periods of time and the effort spent on hunting and gathering food should always be considered as secondary to building and maintaining shelter from the elements and finding water.

The Three Creeks Walk is a 14.5km, grade 3-4 circuit hike, located in the Brisbane Ranges National Park, Victoria. The Three Creeks Walk commences at the Crossing Picnic Area, approximately 2.5km west of the historic town of Steiglitz in the southern reaches of the Brisbane Ranges National Park and Steiglitz Historic Park. If you have hiked in the Brisbane Ranges before, you will know that it can be a labyrinth of management roads and tracks so rather than provide turn-by-turn guidance, I suggest downloading the GPX file and/or printing a map to assist with navigation. Set in a low range of mountains dissected by rocky gullies, the unusual geology of Brisbane Ranges National Park has preserved plants that have long since vanished from the region, together with a correspondingly diverse bird population and the greatest density of koalas in Victoria.